The Confession
by adromir
Summary: During a briefing, Team One learns that Sam keeps a secret. A deep, dark and terrible secret.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone. This fic deals with a highly sensitive issue. Sadly, this thing happens within our communities. Some even worst in certain parts of the world. So, READERS' DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Or you can turn around now and stop reading. You've been warned.**

**SUMMARY : During a briefing, Team One learn that Sam keeps a secret. A deep, dark and terrible secret.**

* * *

"Okay, guys. Here's the intel we got on the subject," said Sergeant Parker, starting the briefing for the coming warrant call. He stood next to the large screen, which currently showed a photo of a clean-cut good-looking man. "The subject's name is Matthew Stevens. Thirty years old. Runs a child trafficking ring, as well as underage pornography. The information we got is that he has a large place outside of town, the center for all his activities. This has been going on for almost a year now."

"A year? Why didn't we find about it much sooner?" asked Raf, frowning in disapproval. He had had a brief history with adults taking advantage on youngsters. He still held grudges to this day.

"He is sleek. He operates his dirty business underground," Parker further explained as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Matthew Stevens is known to the public as a rich philanthropist who likes to do good things for the kids. He also runs other bona fide ventures such as manufacturing and supplying children's products. The image he carries is as this lovable good guy that all mothers want their daughter to marry. The intel we received is from the inside. One of his people begins to realize that Mr. Stevens is not exactly the Prince Charming everyone thinks he is."

"What's exactly our mission here, Boss? We bring him in for questioning?" Ed wanted to know, balling his fists. He would love to do the 'questioning' if given the chance.

Parker gave the team leader a knowing smile. "Yep, we bring him in. But bear in mind, though. Highly likely this will involve innocent lives. Who knows how many kids he holds captive inside his private mansion."

"We might be looking at multiple hostage situations," supplied Sam, nodding in understanding.

"That's right. Things could get real ugly real fast. That's why we need to do this smooth and precise with as much info as we can get." The Sergeant turned back to the screen. At the click of the remote, it showed an aerial photo of a large house sitting atop a hill surrounded by woods. "This is his current location, our target. I'll send the coordinates to your PDAs. Now, Ed. How do you want to do this?"

Thoughtfully, Ed observed the screen for a few moments before he gave his inputs on tactical and strategic approach. He divided the team into two, with him and Sam leading Alpha and Bravo respectively. He then asked Spike, "How good is the security?"

"A guardhouse at the main gate with two guards at all times, high walls around the premises, CCTVs at each corner," Spike replied, pecking away at his computer. "I can hack into his internal security system to get a closer look on what's going on inside that mansion if you want me to."

"Did you ever need to ask, Spike?"

Spike grinned. "I knew you're gonna say that."

"Hack away then." Ed grinned in return before coming back to Parker. "Anything else we should know about this Matthew Stevens?"

"Yes. He's not doing this alone. He has a so-called partner named Garrick Stevens." The Sergeant clicked at the remote again until a photo of another man came up. He was in his early fifties with strong physique and harsh looking countenance. It clearly showed that he had the bearing of a man who had once served in uniforms.

"Any relations to Matthew?" This came from Jules, staring hard at the man's angular face. "He doesn't look much like his brother or father, though. Could he be a distant relative?"

"That's the strange thing. We don't know. No one knows. On paper, Garrick Stevens doesn't exist. There are no files whatsoever on him, as if he appears out of thin air," Parker elaborated. "He operates mainly in the shadows, out of the picture. The intel tells us that Garrick is Matthew's right-hand man, the one who does all the dirty works with great relish. If Matthew does it simply for money, Garrick actually _enjoys_ hurting those children. That makes him the most dangerous."

"Working in shadows, non-existence," Jules wondered with a shake of her head. She turned to Sam beside her. "What, is this guy a ghost or something?"

To Jules' absolute surprise, she noticed that Sam's face had gone deathly white, his eyes a pair of bleak orbs as he sat still as a statue, gaping in horror at Garrick Stevens's photo.

"Uh…Sam? Are you okay?" she asked, touching his arm. The rest of Team One turned to watch them both. They all grew concerned when Sam didn't reply, completely unresponsive.

"What's wrong, Sam?" asked Parker, leaning forward to look closely at the young officer. "You know this guy?"

Still staring at the photo, Sam slowly and wordlessly nodded.

"You knew him in the military?" Ed also asked, growing slightly impatient by Sam's lack of reactions. "Come on, Sam. Speak up. Is he your friend?"

That caused Sam to jerk back in shock. Staring at Ed, he mumbled, "M…my friend…?"

At once, hot bile pushed up his throat. Struggling against the gag reflex, Sam clamped a hand over his mouth and shot off his seat, rushing for the washroom as his team looked on in astonishment.

"What. The hell. Was that?" Spike wondered out loud, his fingers froze over the keyboard.

"Was it something Ed said?" Raf asked, bewildered.

"I believe there's more to it," Parker said, already deep in thought.

Brooking no arguments, Jules got to her feet and ran after Sam. "I'll go see if he's alright."

"So am I," announced Ed, only a step behind her. Together, they hurriedly cut through the men's locker room towards the washroom in the back. Before they even got there, they could hear the sound of Sam vomiting.

"Sam, how're you doing?" Jules hesitantly asked. She stood in the doorway, watching as her boyfriend bent over the sink and continued to get violently sick.

"You're ill, Braddock? Maybe you need to go see a doctor," Ed suggested, his gaze sharp as he observed his teammate.

After rinsing his mouth, Sam straightened and grabbed some paper towels to dry his face. "No doctor can help me."

"What are you saying, Sam?" Jules came closer. "It's that man, isn't it? What's your connection to him?"

Sam looked as if he was about to get sick all over again. "_Connection_? That's a twisted way to call it."

"Look, buddy. Talk to us," Ed said, his voice softening. "Who is that guy? What does Garrick Stevens have anything to do with you?"

"His name is _not _Garrick Stevens."

Ed and Jules exchanged surprised looks. "That is not his real name?"

"I knew him as Rick Stanley. But that's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"Rick Stanley is dead. He has been dead for over twenty years."

Jules knew she wouldn't like the answer, but still she asked, "How do you know that?"

Sam's face was pale and drawn as he finally turned to them.

Gravely, he answered, "Because I killed him."

* * *

"Rick Stanley," Spike muttered as he typed in the name into his computer.

Sam had just returned to the briefing room moments ago with Ed and Jules at his sides. After confessing to the killing, Sam had gone very quiet. He had refused to say more on the matter, but he let them give the name to Spike so that it could be searched through the database.

As Spike did his things with the rest of the team looking, Sam sat waiting at the farthest seat and looked down at his clasped fists resting on the table. Silent, brooding. Anxious.

"Huh. That's weird," said Spike in puzzlement minutes later.

"What do you got, Spike?"

"That's just it. I got nothing. I can't even get through!"

Parker frowned. "We'll that's a first from you. You find no files on Rick Stanley too?"

"No, what I mean is, there is a file on him but I can't have access to it. The file is sealed."

"Sealed?" The Sergeant was clearly perplexed. "Well, find out which department it's under. I'll make a call and we—"

"Boss, it's not us," Spike retorted, jabbing away at his keyboard only to get the same result. Again, he was denied access. "His file is sealed by the military. The only thing I found about him came from a newspaper clipping dated two decades ago. A Lieutenant Rick Stanley was pronounced dead after his van flew over the bridge into a river. He had been under suspicion for the kidnapping and murder of several children around the area of Downsview military base. It was believed that he had just abducted another young boy who then managed to escape. The military refused to give their comments on this and chose to keep it under wrap for the kid's safety, the one who got away. The case file is fully authorized under a military officer named…"

Spike's voice trailed off. He lifted his head and stared at Sam, openmouthed. "Oh."

"Who, Spike?" Ed asked, but then understanding dawned on him and he also turned to look at the handsome blond SRU officer who sat with his head bowed in resigned. "Sam?"

Having hard times meeting his teammates in the eyes, Sam kept his gaze lowered as he reluctantly began to speak. "I was nine years old. My Dad was based in Downsview at that time. My little sister, Alice…she was killed by a reckless driver just a month before. I missed her. I miss her still."

"Sam, if this is too much for you…" Parker said.

Sam shook his head. "No, Sarge. You all have to know about the real Garrick Stevens, the kind of a man he is. You should hear this."

After taking a deep breath, he continued. "Alice was seven, two years younger than me. Natalie was still young then, about two years old. Due to our close age, Alice had been my usual partner-in-crime, my most loyal companion. When she died in that accident, I was devastated. I blamed myself for not keeping her safe. Sometimes I thought even my parents blamed me for it. On that particular day, I felt so lonely and so I took myself back to the park where I had intended to take Alice.

"It was around mid-day and I was by myself at the children's playground. I sat on the swing, remembering those times when I held Alice in my arms as we swung high towards the sky. I also sat atop the jungle gym, recalling Alice's squeal of delight as she went down the slide. I was missing her so bad I didn't realize that I was completely alone. A van then stopped beside the road, real close by. I paid no attention to it until a man in uniform emerged and walked towards me. He told me his name, and said that my father was looking for me. He had been ordered to take me home."

Sam emitted a bitter smile. "There was that dumb blonde moment again. I was a fool, so naive. Without thinking much, I followed him into the van. And that's when my nightmare began."

Swallowing hard, Sam continued, "Before I knew it, he had pressed a damp cloth over my face and I passed out. When I came to, the van was parked somewhere deep in the woods. He had stripped me down and he…he was doing things to me…things that my young mind couldn't understand…"

Sam's voice broke, his eyes swam with unshed tears. Jules wanted to squeeze his hand, to show him her support, but she didn't dare interrupt the flow of the story, painful though it was. And so she listened, her own heart breaking to pieces.

"I fought," Sam was saying, "I fought with all I got but…I was only nine. What more could I do? I punched him, he punched me back. I kicked him, he kicked me a lot harder. No matter what I did, I lost the fight. I was a victim, and I could do nothing about it.

"I don't know how long he kept me there. Could be hours. When it turned dark, he began to drive. I was getting really scared, but not of him. Mostly I was scared of my Dad. He would kill me for being out so late! And I had broken the rules. I shouldn't talk to strangers but that was exactly what I did, and look what it got me into. I was sure that if I didn't get home soon, my Dad would be terribly mad. And so I planned to escape.

"As Stanley drove, he left me lying there in the back. He thought I was asleep. I searched around and found something hard and heavy. Might be a wrench or a jack, I can't remember. I grabbed it and slowly came behind him and I just bashed his head in. He slumped over. The van swerved out of control. Too late, I realized we were on a bridge. The van rammed into the railing and flew off into the river below.

"I got knocked about quite seriously but I wasn't out. I managed to crawl through a broken window and get myself to the surface. That's when I realized I couldn't swim. I didn't even know how to swim…" Stifling his sobs, Sam dropped his face in his hands. His entire body was trembling so bad that Ed reached over and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

Several moments had passed when Sam raised his head and took a deep breath. "I was swept downriver. The water was cold, frigid. I thought I would drown. And it was so dark. I couldn't tell where the river was taking me. As luck would have it, I got caught in some brambles near the riverbank. I couldn't remember much what happened next. When they finally found me, I was near death from hypothermia. I had to spend almost a week in the hospital.

"They dragged the river afterwards but found no signs of Stanley. After weeks of searching, they finally called it off and pronounced him dead. He was never heard again. I really thought he had died." His blue eyes narrowing, Sam turned to stare at Stanley's photo on the screen and added, "Until today."

Rising to his feet, Sam gazed at each member of his team before he softly said, "The military sealed the file to protect me. To get it unsealed, you need to talk to General Braddock. Only my Dad can authorize it."

At that, he turned around and in silent dejection walked out of the room.

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for following this story. And here comes the conclusion.**

* * *

Sam hunted for solitude in the opened air at the rooftop of the HQ. He stood with his back to the helipad, his arms braced against the railings as he stared into the distance. Afternoon zephyr ruffled through his hair, the bright sunlight playing with the fair strands until they shone like spun gold.

That was how Jules found him a while later. For several moments, she paused to admire the view.

Sam Braddock was indeed a very attractive man. Fair of face, kind of heart, beautiful inside out.

Jules could still clearly recall those early days after she first met him. All she had wanted to do was to get rid of the cocky guy who relentlessly tried to hit on her. Flattering, but she always detested such attention. In fact, it had felt downright chauvinistic, considering that she had been the only girl in the team and so had quickly become the target for this swaggering newcomer. He had even called her 'sexy sniper chick', the cad!

But that was then.

Now, Sam was the center of her life. Her one true love. She could not imagine living without him. Their commitments to their job had caused their relationship to break up at one time. It had been excruciating for her, even though she was the one who had called it off. Respecting her wishes, Sam had given her space. But those times apart only made them grow fonder of each other, made her love him even more.

After five years knowing him, Jules could read Sam like a book. She could tell his true emotions, whether he was happy or angry or sad, without him even saying a single word. She thought she already knew everything about him. Today she realized she had been wrong. Who would have expected that behind the cheerful and mischievous disposition, hid a tragic past so painful.

For such an ordinary man, Sam had extraordinary resilience. His will was strong. His courage had been constantly tested and proven. And what he had done during the briefing, the raw confession, was the bravest thing Jules had ever seen him did. He made her proud, yet at the same time her heart ached for him, for those terrible things he had gone through as a child.

Jules couldn't wait to get face to face with Rick Stanley so she could do him maximum damage for harming Sam.

After taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and came to lean against the railings. Gesturing at the blue sky above, she commented, "Nice weather."

Still staring ahead, Sam nodded. "Yep. It's a beautiful day."

"Sam," she softly said, "That was a brave thing you did back there."

He chuckled without humor. "I didn't have much choice, did I? Sooner or later, the team will find out about it. No point keeping it to myself anymore."

"That must've been hard."

"You have no idea." With a shake of his head, Sam looked down at his feet. "I've managed to leave it all behind me for many years. When I was finally able to forget, the bastard showed up from the dead. I can't believe this is happening."

"I understand what you mean. It's like reliving the nightmare all over again. But know that we will always be there for you, Sam. You are not alone in this."

He raised his head and looked straightly at her, his gaze sad. "Forgive me, Jules."

"For what?" She was puzzled.

"I feel like I've deceived you this whole time for not telling you about any of it before, like I'm keeping secrets from you when we should have been honest to each other."

"Oh, sweetheart." She laid a hand on his arm. "Being honest doesn't mean you need to tell me _every_thing, not when it upsets you so. It's your secret to keep."

"It just doesn't feel right, though. You're so pure and perfect, and I'm like this tainted goods…"

"Sam!" She snapped, "Don't you dare demean yourself because of other man's twisted mind. I don't you see as a victim. You're none of that. You're a survivor. You were just a small kid and yet you fought bravely for your life, and you won. You were born a fighter, Sam. That boy, the one who got away twenty years ago, was a clear reflect to the remarkable man that you are today. No matter how many curve balls thrown at you, you come up swinging. So don't you ever, _ever_, lower yourself like that again, you hear me? Or I swear I'll shoot you in the ass!"

To her annoyance, she found him grinning back at her. "What the hell's so funny?"

"No, not funny. This is me feeling happy," Sam replied. "_You_ make me happy, Jules. You've changed me a lot. It's time I say thank you."

Smiling, she lowered her gaze. "If we're not on shift and not at HQ with a handful of CCTVs around, I would have gathered you in my arms and never let go."

"And I would have gently nudged your chin before kissing your tears away," he softly said.

Only then Jules realized that she was weeping, and so she hastily wiped the moisture off her face, flushing a bit.

"Don't cry for me, Jules," he added. "I'll not be the cause of your despair. If you want me to keep fighting, then that's what I will do. You have my word."

Without looking at him, she nodded. "Good. So are you ready to go back in?"

Sam threw his gaze into the distance once more, thinking. "When's the team leaving?"

"Under thirty minutes. Will you be joining us?"

He turned back to her, smiling. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

When Sam returned to the briefing room, he was a little apprehensive of the team's reaction. To his relief, they all met his gaze straight on without any signs of pity. In fact, they showed him respect and much more, akin to an admiration. One by one, his teammates came forward to shake his hand and pat him in the back.

"So, Sam. You're good to go?" Ed asked, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

"I'm good. As always," Sam replied with an easy shrug. He then turned to Parker. "Boss, have you called the General on that file?"

"No need for that, buddy. We've got all the info we need," the Sergeant responded, giving Sam a searching look. "Can you do this, Sam? Can you this with us?"

Gazing around at his teammates, Sam nodded. "Yeah, absolutely. Let's do this."

* * *

It took Team One just five minutes to get Matthew Stevens under custody.

Through deception, they managed to take over the guardhouse at the front gate before the guards on duty even had the chance to alert the people inside. From there, things moved on according to plan.

With unis on standby, the SRU made their swift entrance and contained the perimeter. They swept all the rooms inside the mansion on each floor, top to bottom. It wasn't long before they found the children, eight in all, caged like animals in the basement.

They also found a couple of girls in a studio upstairs, in the middle of a photo shoot session, completely nude. Jules had been so furious at this she almost shot the depraved photographer there and then! She made do with clicking the cuffs around the man's wrists tighter than necessary.

Meanwhile, Matthew Stevens was found in his master bedroom, giving practical lessons about 'birds and bees' to a young teenager. He screamed in rage at the intrusion, but quickly shut his trap and easily submitted when he realized who the intruders were. The teenager and the rest of the children were then sequestered in one room as paramedics checked them over.

Of Garrick Stevens aka Rick Stanley, he was nowhere to be found.

Sam was understandably pissed.

"Where the hell is he?" he fumed, slamming his fist against the wall in frustration.

"Easy, Sam," Ed said, trying to calm him down. "We will find him."

"Maybe he's no longer in the premises," Sam said, his lips pursing. "He has gotten away. _Again_."

"I don't think so, guys!" Spike, who was monitoring the CCTVs from the command truck, suddenly cried out into their headsets. "There's a movement in the backyard. A man just emerged from the garden toolshed and is now running across the lawn towards the south wall. He's heading straight for a small gate there. I think he decides to disappear himself into the woods."

"Can you identify him, Spike? Is it Garrick?" Sergeant Parker asked, watching as Ed and Sam ran at full tilt towards the back of the mansion.

"The image is not too good, but from his stature I'm sure it's him. Watch out, guys. He's armed."

"Copy," Sam and Ed simultaneously responded. Raising their MP5 at the ready, they cautiously turned around the corner and proceeded to trace Garrick's footsteps. Seconds later they found him. The man was struggling against the padlock on the small gate, having problems to unlock it.

"Stop! Right there!" Ed yelled, "Drop your weapon and do not move!"

The man instantly froze but didn't release his gun. He just stood there facing the wall. From his body language, the SRU officers could tell that he was deciding to start shooting at them.

"I said, drop your weapon," Ed repeated as he moved slowly forward, Sam mirroring his actions. "Do it now or we will have to shoot you."

Chuckling, the man warily turned towards them. "Okay, officer. You got me."

"Garrick Stevens," Sam remarked, his blood instantly boiled over as once more he saw the face that had been haunting his sleeps for years. Switching from MP5 to his Glock, he aimed it at the man, adding, "Do as he says, Garrick. It's over. You have nowhere to go."

"Am I under arrest here? 'Cause I think you have nothing on me."

"Oh, yes, we have," Ed retorted, "We have enough evidence to put you behind bars for as long as you breathe. So put your gun down before things get much worse, Garrick. Do it now!"

At last, after much deliberation on Garrick's part, he dropped his gun to the ground and raised both arms. "Sure. If you insist."

"Good. Thank you." Ed was stepping forward to put handcuffs on the subject when he noticed his teammate's odd expression. His sharp gaze fixated on Garrick, Sam looked as if he was about to pull the trigger.

"Whoa, whoa. What are you doing, man? I've surrendered." Suddenly anxious, Garrick took an involuntarily step back.

"_Sam_," Ed soothingly said, "Stand down, buddy."

"Ed, what's happening?" Parker asked from out front. "What's wrong with Sam?"

"He's okay, boss. Sam's gonna be okay," replied Ed, though he saw the deadly intent in his teammate's eyes. If he didn't know Sam any better, he would believe that the ex-JTF2 was going to kill Garrick in cold blood.

"Sam, listen to me," he added, "It's over. He's done. We got him. You hear me, buddy? He is _done_."

His arm straight and steady, Sam aimed the Glock without wavering at the man he had known as Rick Stanley, the man who had stolen his innocence, the man who had taken a number of children's life and destroyed many others, the man who had no rights to be let loose into the public again.

For that, Rick Stanley must die.

Narrowing his eyes to a slit, Sam gave the trembling man an accusing stare. "You're a dead man, Stanley."

The man jerked with shock. "Wh…what? How do you know…"

"Sam, _don't_." Ed started to feel dread. He didn't want to shoot his own teammate, whom he loved like a brother. But if push comes to shove, he had to take actions by the book. Sam knew it too. It was the job.

"Talk to me, Ed," Parker urgently said.

"Sam has the unarmed subject at gun point," Ed quietly replied. "But Sam's not going to shoot, Boss. He is a protector, not a killer. He knows what is right and what is wrong. He won't let his burning rage get the better of him, because he is that strong. Right, Sam?"

"What the…the hell's wrong with this guy?" Stanley was sputtering. "You're going to let him—"

"Shut up, Stanley," Ed snapped, his attention wholly focused on the other man. "_Sam_. Am I right?"

Swallowing, Sam finally gave a slow nod of acknowledgement. The fiery edge in his gaze lessened. "Yes, Ed. You're right. Cuff the bastard. He'll face justice and get the punishment he fully deserves."

Sighing inwardly with great relief, the team leader yanked Stanley's arms behind his back. After the subject was totally secured, Sam whirled around to get as far away as he could from the sickening man.

"Braddock?" Stanley suddenly voiced out, halting Sam in his steps. "No wonder you look so familiar. I _knew_ you."

"That's enough. Get moving!" Ed yelled, pushing the man forward but Stanley resisted, planting his feet. He stared at the name stitched at the back of Sam's vest. He stared at the golden head. The hair was slightly darker now, but under direct sunlight the color tones appeared exactly the same. He had also noticed the mole on Sam's throat earlier, the same mole that had been on a young boy he abducted twenty years ago.

"You're little Sammy," Stanley enthused, smiling wide. "Little Sammy Braddock. The one who got away. Well, well. What a surprise."

"Shut up, Stanley!" Ed felt like punching the man's lights out. He glanced nervously at Sam who had gone absolutely still, his shoulders stiffening.

"You were such a pretty thing, Sammy. And look at you now. You're still so pretty."

Sam turned around then, his clear blue eyes burning with fire once more. Still gripping the Glock, he retraced his footsteps until only a couple of feet separated him from Stanley.

_Oh, crap, _Ed thought_. _Getting ready for any consequences, he slightly raised his gun.

"And you are still the same disgusting pathetic ungodly creature I knew," Sam told Stanley in the face with a cool smile. "You've failed once, you've failed again. You're so pitiful, you're not even worth my time."

With that, Sam walked away with his head held high.

Once again, he had won.

* * *

"For a moment there, I thought I was gonna have to shoot you," Ed was telling Sam as they watched the unis load the handcuffed Rick Stanley into a patrol car.

"For a moment there, I _wanted_ Ed to shoot you," Jules frankly remarked with a glare. "What did I tell you about fighting back, Braddock? Were you even listening?"

Laughing, Sam resisted the urge to grab her into his arms and kiss her silly. "I'm not gonna shoot the son of a bitch. I was just…trying to make him wet his pants, that's all. Put the god's fear in him."

"You think it worked?" Parker asked, exchanging amused smiles with the others.

Sighing, Sam shook his head. "Not really. That man once served in the military. He is not that easily scared. And he likes to put great terror in many people, he can't tell true fear when it hits him in the face. He is without feeling."

"It's good that he is caught at last," Raf commented.

"Yeah," Spike agreed. "Less one sick bastard we have to worry about."

They all started to move towards their respective vehicle when a commotion erupted from one of the patrol cars. A uniform police officer was rolling about on the ground, clutching his head and groaning with pain. Rick Stanley was standing above him, the cuffs dangling from one wrist, the hand clutching a gun.

The gun was pointed straight at Sam.

"Die, you little piece of shit!" Stanley screamed.

The entire Team One raised their weapons to shoot, but Stanley's head suddenly snapped with violent force to the side and he slammed like bricks to the ground.

Stupefied, the team exchanged startled looks. The shot didn't come from either one of them.

An unknown shooter was at large.

"Stay down, stay down!" Parker was yelling at the paramedics standing nearby. "Go take cover!"

Raf and Jules got busy herding the civilians back into the building. As Spike ran towards the command truck to get any type of readings on the unknown shooter, Sam and Ed carefully approached Stanley's body.

"Anybody saw the shooter?" Parker wanted to know. Joining Sam and Ed, he crouched next to the fallen officer, relieved to find that his injury was not serious. Looked like Stanley had managed to uncuff himself before knocking down the cop and stole his gun.

"No, Boss."

"The shooter didn't plan to be seen," Sam muttered, inspecting Stanley's gunshot wound. Almost half of his head was gone. Only one type of bullet could create such devastation. "This came from a .50 cal."

"It was a long range shot," Ed remarked, noticing it too.

"The shooter was out of camera's range," Spike confirmed from behind his computer, "Wherever the shot came from, it's not from within the perimeter."

"How far do you think, Sam?" asked Parker.

Frowning, Sam rose to his feet. He looked around him, and tried to pinpoint the shooter's exact location. He scrutinized the top of nearby structures, the surrounding hills. The sniper was invisible to his eyes. "About two kilometers. Maybe more."

"Who do we know around here that can shoot like that," Ed asked, "besides you, Sam?"

Looking at Ed and the Sergeant, Sam could only shake his head. He had an idea. He was just afraid to say it, and so he said nothing.

One thing he realized, as he stared unflinching at Stanley's lifeless body, was that his long time nightmare had truly come to an end.

He was now completely free.

* * *

Team One had been thoroughly questioned by the SIU on Rick Stanley's death, but there were no reason found to put blames on them. Even the ballistic evidence proved that none of the team had fired at the subject, and so they were all cleared and commented on a job well done.

Of the mystery sniper, the authorities were still looking. So far, no such luck.

They would find out later afterwards that Rick Stanley first crossed paths with Matthew Stevens over two years ago in Moscow. How their relationship evolved from there was a long story, which Matthew was quick to blame the dead Stanley for all his debauchery.

But Team One didn't give a damn about the subjects anymore. As soon as they finished their shift, the entire team went down to _The Goose_ to celebrate.

As they were about to enter the bar, Sam noticed a black SUV with tinted windows parked further down the street. He touched Jules' arm to get her attention, "Go on in with the guys. I'll be right back."

"What? Sam, where are you going?"

"I won't be long. This will just take a minute," he assured her and started walking towards the SUV.

The rest of the team was also curious, watching in avid fascination as the window of the backseat rolled halfway down as Sam came near. And then he seemed to exchange words with someone sitting inside.

"Who is he talking to?" Ed wondered out loud.

Jules shook her head. "I have no idea."

"Are you alright?" the distinguished looking man in the backseat was asking Sam.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Sam nodded back. He stared closely at the man, and asked, "Was it you?"

The man raised an eyebrow at that. "Pardon me?"

"You know what I'm talking about, sir."

"Officer Braddock, I have no idea what you're saying."

Shaking his head with a soft laugh, Sam said, "I know of only a few people who can make that kind of shot from such distance. You're one of them."

"Pretend that I know what you mean, what makes you so sure?"

"Sir, _you_ taught me how to shoot. I learned everything about guns from you."

The man chuckled. "There's that. But I still don't know what you're talking about."

"It _was _you, wasn't it?"

"Sam, you can't make me admit to anything I didn't do."

Sighing, Sam accepted defeat. He knew he wouldn't get any straight answers from this man. "Okay. Whatever it is that you _didn't_ do, I want to thank you. You saved my life."

As Sam turned to leave, the man stilled him with his next words, "I am sorry, Sam."

Inclining his head to one side, Sam gave him a direct gaze, "What are you sorry about?"

The man emitted a sad smile. "I can protect my country, but I wasn't even able to give you the protection you deserved."

Biting his lower lip in uncertainty, Sam looked the other way. He saw his whole team still standing in front of the bar, watching him. Turning back to the man, he said, "You have done everything you could for me. And I'm very grateful."

"Maybe I had been treating you a bit too harsh."

Sam laughed out loud. "If you've treated me any gentler, I wouldn't have become the man that I am now. Don't worry. I'm tougher than I look."

"I know you are. That's why I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, sir." Glancing back towards his team, Sam said, "Listen, I need to rejoin my unit. Talk to you later, okay? It's nice seeing you."

Sam had just taken a few steps when the man called him back, "Hey, Sam."

"Sir?"

"Are you ready to leave SRU and rejoin me in the field?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Will you desist? Enough already. Seriously, you start to sound like a broken record."

"I'm just asking. Worth a try." The man chuckled. "Give your Mom a call, will you? She's worried sick that you're not eating right."

"Fine, I will. But…jeez, Dad. I'm thirty, not _thirteen_."

Still laughing, General Braddock powered up his window. "Try telling that to your mother."

As the SUV drove away and disappeared around the corner, Sam reached his teammates. Jules was the first to ask him, "Who was that?"

Looking at every one of them, Sam shrugged and replied, "I'll introduce you all to him later. For now, let's go have that drink!"

* * *

The Sergeant's cell phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. Amidst his team's animated conversation and boisterous laughter, he excused himself and went to find a more secluded corner where he could hear better.

"Sergeant Parker?" inquired the voice on the other line.

"Yeah, who is this?" Parker had to stuff a finger in the other ear to cut down the noise decibel.

"Braddock."

Parker was greatly puzzled at first, thinking that Sam was calling him as a joke. But from where he stood, he could clearly see the blond officer still chatting away with Spike about a recent hockey game.

"Yes, General," he said when he realized who it was, "How can I help you?"

"I just call to thank you, and your team."

"For what, exactly?"

"For keeping my son safe."

"We keep each other safe, General. It's part of the job."

"I know. Nevertheless, I owe you greatly."

"Is it? I thought _we _owe _you_."

"Your meaning, Sergeant?"

"That long-range shot today. Does Sam know?"

The General chuckled. "I'm not at liberty to comment on that, Sergeant. Just let me tell you this, what Sam doesn't know won't harm him."

"I hear you. But he's not stupid. In fact, he has a sharp mind, that one." Parker lowered his voice as he said next, "So. Rick Stanley."

For a moment, total silence came from the other end. And then, "When your guys tried to access Stanley's file, all kinds of alarms were activated. It was immediately brought to my attention."

"You have been watching over Sam all this while. Even today, you're never far."

"You are a father too, Sergeant. You understand when I say that we go to great lengths to protect our kids, don't you?"

"I understand," Parker grudgingly replied. "So, it _was _you?"

Laughing, the General responded before ringing off, "Good night, Sergeant."

For several moments, Parker stared at his phone. After stuffing it back into his pocket, he reclaimed his seat next to Sam, patted the young man on the shoulder and smiled at the rest of the team.

"Who was that, Boss?" asked the ever attentive Ed.

"A concerned father," he answered. "Worry not, guys. All is well."

Squeezing Jules' hand under the table, Sam nodded in agreement.

All is well indeed.

**THE END**


End file.
